ALLO, Comcast, GoNetspeed, Merit Network, and PRIME FiBER are all expanding fiber-based broadband in various communities through a mix of venture capital and state funding sources.
ALLO Communications lays 50G PON foundation
ALLO Communications and Calix conducted a 50G PON trial in Lincoln, Nebraska. 50G PON will open revenue opportunities for ALLO, enabling them to more efficiently serve essential sectors such as first responders, academic institutions, industrial Internet of Things (IoT), agriculture, and medical facilities across the four states they operate.
Comcast Connects first Queen Anne’s County and Kent Island, MD sites to its fiber network
Comcast continues expanding its network across Maryland’s Eastern Shore by connecting the first Kent Island, MD, residents to Xfinity and Comcast Business services. This is part of an expansion project connecting more than 9,000 homes and businesses on Kent Island and nearby communities such as Grasonville, Kent Narrows and Queenstown. The project, which is expected to be completed by the end of 2026, is part of Comcast’s ongoing expansion in Maryland, where the company has invested more than $931.8 million in technology and infrastructure over the last three years – including upgrades to its local network.
GoNetspeed starts building Middletown, Conn fiber broadband network
GoNetspeed has begun constructing its Middletown, Connecticut, fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) network. As the next Connecticut community to gain access to GoNetspeed’s multi-gigabit fiber internet, GoNetspeed’s fully funded $2.4 million investment will equip more than 3,000 homes and businesses with access to high-speed internet of up to two gigabits. Construction is underway, and the first customers are expected to be connected by October 2024.
IQ Fiber begins building its $50M Savannah, GA, fiber broadband network
IQ Fiber, a Jacksonville, FL-based fiber broadband provider, is deploying its network to Savannah, GA. The design and engineering work is complete, and the construction of the project, which will cost over $50 million, will begin in the coming weeks, with the first customers coming online in 2025. Following successful deployments in the Jacksonville and Gainesville, Florida metro areas, this growth further solidifies the company’s position as a leader in residential fiber-optic internet, known for offering a seamless, stress-free experience with no contracts, hidden fees, or data caps.
MSU and Merit Network wrap statewide middle mile project
Merit Network and Michigan State University recently completed a multi-million-dollar project funded by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Broadband Infrastructure program that has connected thousands of miles across Michigan's many disparate Internet pathways across 74 counties. MOON-Light is a federally funded initiative from Michigan State University, Merit Network and Quello Center that created Michigan's Open Optical Network - Leveraging Innovation to Get High-Speed Technology (MOON-Light). This program, named the Michigan Open Optical Network - Leveraging Innovation to Get High-Speed Technology (MOON-Light), addressed critical infrastructure gaps by enabling middle-mile fiber optic infrastructure across the state. It connected local Internet service providers (ISPs), bringing high-speed broadband Internet to homes and businesses in Michigan's underserved/unserved population areas.
PRIME FiBER signs fiber broadband agreement with AT&T in Florida
PRIME FiBER, a commercial open-access fiber infrastructure company, has signed an agreement with AT&T to provide wholesale fiber access services starting in Bonita Springs and Naples, Florida. PRIME FiBER was established in late 2023 and operates as the wholesale open-access sister company to NOVOS FiBER, a retail fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) company serving residents and small businesses.
Lightwave+BTR is tracking service providers' ongoing efforts to extend broadband to more homes and businesses via our Building Broadband series. If you want to share a new broadband build, contact Lightwave+BTR’s editor-in-chief, Sean Buckley, at [email protected].